Belko Experiment (2017)

There is something incredibly fascinating about the idea behind The Belko Experiment. The general idea has been tried before, the idea of putting people into a survivor style fight to the death scenario, from the brilliant Battle Royale to the blockbuster Hunger Games. How do we justify the way we aquiece to the fact that some of us get exploited for the benefit of others? But tying the idea directly to a corporate environment and explicitly making the reference between capitalism and dog-eat-dog morality, is a clever and sophisticated metaphor. The problem is that The Belko Experiment doesn't handle the set up of this problem in a clever or sophisticated way. The inspiration is compelling, but the execution is weak.

There is something undoubtedly truthful about exploring the kill or be kill culture that is inherent in the corporate structure and capitalist societies in general. There are moments in The Belko Experiment which begin to scratch this surface but generally this is overshadowed by the lack of realistic world building behind it. It's hard to feel the debates and struggles with morality in such a climate when the climate hasn't been crafted in a way that we buy it.

The Belko Experiment's gimmick is an involved one. The plot of the movie, and the lengths they hvae to go to to set it up takes a great deal of suspension of disbelief. Yet the film sort of clumsily builds up its premise just relying on us to buy it. I never quite did believe that this scenario would play out this way. It needs to convince us to be powerful and they never quite pull that off. As the film goes on, the scenario seems less and less realistic and therefore becomes harder and harder to swallow. Just as the film needs us to buy into the plot we become less likely to get into it.

And it's too bad too cause when the film is in its analytical moments it shows a great deal of depth and insight. There are moments when characters are debating the "greater good," when they are making choices in moments about what is the right way to behave or "participate," that they were just doing what they were told to do, where the film becomes fascinating. If that had been tied into a better set up, one we could have been swept up in, instead of being jarred into, I think the film could have been remarkably powerful.

The film rushes itself a bit. Certain characters just fall into their roles quickly without much consideration into their motives. The film's run time doesn't allow for the kind of narratives that it would need to truly tell such a tale. And then the film's main story finishes too quickly.  All of the sudden they are at a climax which likely would be more satisfying if it had more time to build to it.

The film does reach some intense moments. There is a palpable and disturbing portrayal of mob mentality and certain turns characters take are dark. There is also the idea of how evil becomes easier and easier to perpetrate the more you see it around you, the more normalized it becomes. And in the end there is the over arching idea of how lives are taken for the profit of others and how closely that is tied to our capitalist culture. It is a horrifying idea that sticks with you, even after the credits roll.

Characterization is rather thin too. The "good guys" are good and likeable from the beginning and its easy to pick out the "bad guys." The film would have been stronger with more complicated character arcs. In the end the film falls into typical hero/villain arcs which dilutes its message a bit. Its final scenes are fairly heavy handed driving its metaphors home. 

While not a complete failing, The Belko Experiment makes you wish it was something more.

The Belko Experiment
Starring: John Gallagher Jr., Toby Goldwin, Adria Arjona, John C. McGinley
Director: Greg McLean
Writer: James Gunn